r-money cpacalypse

How Much Were These People Paid To Like Mitt Romney?

Your Wonkette was walking through the hallway at CPAC on Friday only to find this pagan shouting dance underway to celebrate Mitt Romney, conservatives’ cherished leader.

This is the first time we have ever seen human beings excited about Mitt Romney in person. It was terrifying. But were all Mitt Romney supporters this rowdy, at CPAC? Read this analysis by some jerk in The Guardian!

Jim Newell is Wonkette’s beloved Capitol Hill Typing Demon. He joined Wonkette.com in 2007, left for some other dumb job in 2010, and proudly returned in 2012 as our “Senior Editor at Large.” He lives in Washington and also writes for things such as The Guardian, the Manchester paper of liberals.

I guess we all have different definitions of "beautiful", because I find them tacky. Maybe, people thought that about the gothic churches of the Middle Ages when they were built, but I know that at this moment in time, Mormon temples usually look tacky as hell to my eyes.

They're building a new temple in Gilbert, AZ, and they claim it's going to raise the surrounding real estate values. Beauty 'n 'at. Not MY money.

C_R_Eature

You can see that from the top of the D.C. beltway. It's a genuinely creepy thing to have to drive past.
Can't tell from the photo, but the Angel Moroni is shockingly gold colored. Jumps right out at ya.

Nope. Gold Leaf covered Iconography is solidly in the public domani.
Well, the Vatican did neglect to copyright Jesus, so I'm not surprised that slipped by too.

Beowoof

Lots of GOP morons, just slightly confused by spelling.

C_R_Eature

I read that as "Morans". I think they bus those in, also.

Dashboard_Jesus

maybe not but there's plenty of Morons!

ChernobylSoup

Mitt is a severely charismatic campaigner.

Veritas78

Finally, here's my chance to rebut Mitt's "severely conservative governor" comment. I was a Masshole vassal during his entire reign, and not only did RomneyCare save my life (true story, this) but he personally delivered hookers & blow to all his subjects throughout the realm every single night. Good times!!

I'm guessing these flash mobbers were provided all-expenses-paid trips from Provo, along with each getting an envelope stuffed with Benjamins, in exchange for performing this frighteningly wonderful display of fanaticism.

BlueStateLibel

But Mittens IS so exciting. When he says, "Corporations are people too, my friend" and how he enjoyed reading the Twilight series, of course the young people can't help but get excited.

Speaking of not getting residuals, didn't you mention a bit ago that you do some voice work, too? It just caught my attention, as I have a friend who's trying to break into voice acting.

Limeylizzie

Yes, I do voice overs on a regular basis, does your friend live in one of the major markets, NYC, LA or Chicago? First thing he needs to do is take a few classes and then make a demo.,and start sending it out to agents.

C_R_Eature

Always ask the experts. Thanks Liz!

bumfug

This whole convention looks like a big deal til you realize that every single person who gives a shit about CPAC was at CPAC.

SolitaireRose

Well, that and TV news which used it as an excuse to give human piles of feces Ralph Reed, Tony Perkins and Grover Norquist more time than usual since they were in town.

Self-whore away, Jim – if you started writing regularly for the Guardian I might have a fighting chance to actually find your posts (as opposed to the searching through the morass that is Gawker, ahem).

"As Romneymania has grown, the Republican candidate has crossed over from political figure to cultural phenomenon. Countless reverent portraits of Romney have appeared in storefront windows and on building facades throughout the country, often accompanied by one of the candidate's signature inspirational phrases, like "Let Detroit go bankrupt" or "Corporations are people, my friend."

Internet sources confirmed "Mitt" has become the top search term of 2012, while the blogosphere and social media sites have been dominated by discussions of the star candidate's endearing personality quirks, gossip about the relationship statuses of his five sons, and continual chatter over which designers his wife, Ann, wears.

"Mitt's firm belief in unlimited corporate campaign donations is what first got me really excited," said 48-year-old pipe fitter David Flores, adding that another reason he joined "Romney Nation" was because he found it "pretty cool" that Romney pays a lower income tax rate than he does. "Money is speech—that's what the First Amendment is all about. Finally, there's a candidate who speaks directly to me."

As primary season continues, Americans from all walks of life tune in loyally to Romney's stump speeches, with those in attendance so overwhelmed by the candidate's rousing oratory skills that many pass out from the excitement.

While surveys show Romneymania has swept across almost every demographic, Romney's appeal among the nation's youth, in particular, is nearly unanimous. Many young Americans acknowledged they had felt disillusioned by politics until hearing Romney's explanation of how his coordination of corporate funding for the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics renders him uniquely qualified to be president, an assertion they said immediately revived their faith in American democracy.

"Simply put, when Mitt Romney speaks, he inspires people to be better," said political scientist Deborah Klein of Brown University, adding that given his effusive charisma, people are likely to follow the Republican candidate anywhere. "Anytime he meets factory workers on the campaign trail or stands at the podium in a debate, his reputation as a highly relatable man of the people is indisputable."

OT: Chris Hayes' panel didn't need that plate of pastries on the table on Saturday. They had a Jesuit from Notre Dame and Miss NOM Gallager for breakfast.

Great job by Michaela Angela Davis on presenting the economic issues related to an abortion ban. The priest's reply was along the lines of, "Well, we certainly wouldn't want more women in poverty." But like a good Republican, he had zero ideas about how he would prevent that.

BarackMyWorld

I don't get Catholic Republicans who use their religion as a justification to attack liberals. Protestant I can almost understand because it's pretty easy to draw a straight line from Calvinism to Social Darwinism, but not these guys.

I don't know about Herr Uber Pope, but wasn't John Paul II pretty much a socialist on economic issues?

Chichikovovich

When this sort of this is raised (also the Papal opposition to capitol punishment, or the opposition to the war in Iraq, etc.) I have the impression that the prepared response (because you know they've heard this before) is some variation on "well, that's the Pope's personal opinion, but it's not put forward as a matter of doctrine the way the opposition to birth control is."

And I must admit, they have a point – the Church has gotten downright giddy about threatening Democratic Catholic politicians with denial of communion over contraception and gay marriage, but I've never once heard of such a threat being issued over support for a certain well-known war of choice that was not even close to being a "just war" (if I understand Catholic doctrine correctly, and I may be wrong about this specific point of Canon law), that cost hundreds of thousands of lives (and many of the dead were pregnant women – even the death of "innocent unborn children" wasn't enough to stir them to interest), left many children orphans and amputees, generated untold refugees, etc.

It's pretty evident where the real priorities lie, and what is just a matter of putting things out there just to have them on the record, and then forgetting them.

C_R_Eature

As a follower of the Elder Gods I can say Ph’nglui mglw’nafh Cthulhu R’lyeh wgah’nagl fhtagn!

Gainsbourg69

As a catholic I can safely say that we're just as full of shit as the protestants.

paris biltong

As nominally protestant, I agree. No one can claim to have a monopoly on inconsistency.

Limeylizzie

Chris Hayes is one of those men who, at first glance, seems so nerdy and odd , but then you realise he is really, really smart and funny so you fuck his brains out .

ThundercatHo

Really, really smart and funny are the two most fuckable characteristics.

I know I find him wildly attractive and I'm old enough to be his mother. I swoon when he gets an idea and those eyes roll up toward his brain. I also adore him when he lets his panel rip a guest to shreds and then oh-so-sincerely thanks them for their input and invites them back for more "discussion." Sexy and good manners, too.

I noticed that big ol plate of carbs too and thought, jeez, I would have that shit all over my face after a commercial break. I know this cause I'm an emotional eater sometimes. Sometimes like when I want to smack a self righteous man in a dress who has sworn celibacy to a church that moves molesters from town to town while judging my ability to regulate my hormones as morally wrong and UNJUST. With a smirk. Pow. Right in the (non) kisser.

Numbat_Dundee

Whatever he paid them, they will soon be sacked and a bunch of lowly paid Chinese in Guandong province will do the cheering at a fraction of the price – no doubt to the bemusement of their neighbours.

One would think the inherent racism in the Mormon faith would be enough to get some Paultard crossover. That would give him a solid 1-2% bump in the polls.

Man0nTheStreet

I thought Mormon redneck-white-separatist types of Rural (everywhere 'cept Vegas) Nevada covered that demo, but weren't numerous enough to give Paul the win in the Nevada last week.

BlueStateLibel

Agreed, much as I don't like him, he is the only seemingly sane one in the GOP field. I wouldn't expect him to start WW III or do something nuts. That obviously explains his lack of appeal to the GOP base.

Listen, this fucker srsly believes that when he dies, he will turn into a god and have his own planet and a fuckton of fertile young wives who will be permapreggers to help him populate it. You think he's SANE?

Oh. You said seemingly. Never mind.

Biel_ze_Bubba

So long as he's not in a rush to get there. Some of these Xtards think it's their job to hurry the end times along.

I go between thinking that, and then remembering that he's yet another son-of-Republican governor/presidential candidate, poor-little-rich-boy with major daddy issues. And, we all know how theat worked out the last time. What's different is that with Dubya was actually seen as a non-interventionist when he came into office (I know, right?), and Mitt is practically calling for war with Iran. I've learned to believe them when they say they want war…and believe it even when they say they don't, because even if they don't, personally, their corporate overlords do…always.

C_R_Eature

Oh, no they're Palin Trolls. Didn't expect to see them up here.

BarackMyWorld

That explains why the one dude kept accusing Obama of being a Wall Street puppet, while also singing the praises of Republicans. Romney at least has the sense to switch positions before totally contradicting himself later on.

C_R_Eature

Yeah, they're not very subtle or nuanced and they just can't help themselves.

I think you're right. They are probably poor, poor creatures who, fearing Romney as the probable nominee, decided to mount a full-scale, half-wit defense of "anybody else" and were so enlivened by Snowbilly's shrill scream that they rose to her cause. They're back in their coffins by now, tired from their efforts.

C_R_Eature

Well they're definitely Palinistas – I don't see any of them in this thread. I just visited the previous Palin Post and one of them is still blundering around like a stupider, more offensive Triumph the Insult Comic Dog.

How do these people get your email address? I want to make sure I don't do whatever it was…

Fare la Volpe

No no no. Intense Debate sends me an automated e-mail whenever someone replies to my comments on Intense Debate. These fuckers couldn't get my e-mail even if they did have two brain cells to rub together.

Biel_ze_Bubba

I had to turn that "feature" off, after some Xtard got seriously bent out of shape just because I snarked his Jeebus.

But not before I posted his email address in numerous dark corners of the web, for the spambots to feast upon.

That's not entirely unflattering, when you consider that a whore is in business, and in business, unlike the giving-it-away-for-free practiced by yon hapless lout, you only stay in so long as there's demand for your product.

C_R_Eature

He's still Raging the next morning?
As in: "barge into someone else's Virtual Living Room, insult them about their politics all day long, go to bed pissed off, wake up angry and resume sending insulting messages?
Like that?
Right, and we're the fucked-up ones.

Biel_ze_Bubba

Major Brucie was up 'till 4 AM spewing his bile. Probably won't wake up until noon — the only way he can possibly hold onto his job is that his boss is a right-wing nutbag as well.

DahBoner

Good Lord, these people are so stiff, I thought this was a Cialis commercial….

Watching a Brooks Brothers riot while listening to the inception soundtrack is really creepy.

paris biltong

Apparently Santorum thinks the CPAC vote was fixed. I'm too bored to read beyond the headline. These people are such losers, I can't see how the outcome of polls between their scattered supporters can matter much.

I feel the same way when I manage to assume a vertical position and I show up in the mirror.

sunmusing

Thank goodness the docs didn't remove yer snark. As an intertube lurker, I have watched from afar, you and the good Wonkettes plying the waters of snark. That said….my ol' lady had the same type of surgery, and it was a blessing and a curse. The blessing was…. no more "female" loss of "fluids", or the monthly grumpyness that usually preceded the event and continued until I would open my Tiffiny's account (Tiffiny's Bar and Grill). The Down side is the grumpyness became a permanent virtue, or until we went to Tiffiny's. May you mend soon, and with less grumpyness towards Mr. Barb, and to Snark more, as we have a fucked up country to fix. Lots o' Platonic Love to You on Valentines Day.

scarface99

wait til the republican convention and they turn on the cheer and applause sign when rmoney says he s gonna take back amerika from the nigger!

Hi, MB! we had/have a serious Troll Infestation down in the Palin thread today. One of 'em is a bona fide genuwine nutjob and best stayed far away from, FYI:Meet Bruce Majors.
I actually had to "Miss Sweetie Poo" post him to get him to fuck off.

As a rule, most of them run away after a relatively short time, but then again, as a rule, they're also brighter than this eejit. I'm sure he's a young sprog. Back in the newsgroup days people were constantly getting into flamewars,and this sad fool would have been fried the first time he dipped his toe into the fray.

C_R_Eature

Well, he was tolchocked in the yarbles all horrorshow-like the whole day. For his own sake I hope he takes the hint & buggers off, else he'll likely be shredded again, repeating as necessary. You folk don't feck around, aye?

Not with this sad lot. Like as not, he's one of those self-hating queers who gets off on fantasizing being treated like shit by Tom of Finland type straight guys. We should tape his eyes open and make him watch that film on an endless loop.

C_R_Eature

He'd probably pay good money for that.

flamingpdog

NOOOOO, don't do it, MB. I still feelz guilty about not warnin' you about the Knickers video. You don't want to read the vile bile spewed by Bruce Majors. This clown is one sick fuck!

Dood, I cut my teeth on the newsgroups and alt.tasteless and alt.flame.flame.flame, dood. Bruce Majors is not very bright, swears like a beginner (no, you haven't heard me yet when I really get going), and has no control over his obvious anger about not getting laid occasionally. Y'all reduced him to tears over in the other thread.

The Knickers video was an assault on my eardrums that I will NEVAH forgive, dood. A whole different level of blame.

flamingpdog

I tell myself that there may be one upside to Majors' (and bozos like him) verbal flamethrowing on the internet. It may be the one thing that keeps the rage from building up to a point where he hits the street with an Uzi and takes out innocent civilians (probably most of them blahs).

I hate to be the one to break this to you, but this guy has very obvious and major anger issues. Sooner or later, you *will* pick up a paper and his face and name will be plastered all over a page, and it will involve some anger-control issue where he just fucking lost it and ragegasmed all over the innocent public. I'm surprised he actually has a job. I'll bet nobody in his office likes working with him, and that he has no social life at all to speak of. Apparently, judging from InnerNetz rumours, he already has a problem with alcohol. Walking bomb, dood.

Negropolis

I didn't want to say it, but I was thinking the same thing. This guy is just waiting to pop. It's painfully clear that apart from his anger issues, he has some kind of either mental illness or behavioral problem.

Well, of course. His inner life is horrendous. In his head, he is refighting every battle he ever lost with all the people who beat and bullied him for years, except this time, HE WINS! He's totally engaged in this internal conversation, which is why he cannot interact with anyone here. And of course he brings his demons to the place where all the Cool Kidz who ignored him hang out. He'll show them! He'll MAKE them see that he's right, and he always was, all along, and NOW they'll know, the SCUM!

While we stand around and watch him implode, leaving a godawful mess and a stench. He's now following individual posters around, screeching, "But what about MEEE? Why won't you listen to MEEE?" Pitiful.

Negropolis

swears like a beginner

I noticed that right off the bat. Simply stringing together four consecutive cuss words does not a swear make. 'Tis is art, one I'm a beginner at, myself, but I do recognize that I am one.

I had an uncle, he's dead now, poor man, who could swear fluently for 20 minutes or more at a time, quietly, and without ever repeating the same curse twice. Truly, it was a fine art. The air around him would turn a spectacular shade of blue. And he hardly ever raised his voice, either. Some of his curses still make me laugh out loud, 40 years later.

Negropolis

There is not a king's ransom large enough to get me to even pretend to like this false human being-ish creature.

WTF is that thing on her head? It looks like a helmet from a high school production of The Ring Cycle. Stop it about 0:16–that's all I could take.

Was this at a contest to see who could one-up The Donald?

flamingpdog

I watched the hole thing. I think she was trying out for the part of Mitten's second wife. Definitely a match with his charisma and hers.

BarackMyWorld

Her hair is definitely…wow.

And I thought Newton looked like a Fischer-Price person? Damn.

Radiotherapy

Fucking *crickets*

But, srsly, I want to shoot her in her hair. You see, it's a secret Kevlar® hair spray that the military-industrial-socialist complex has been working on since WWII. Watch out for the ricochet.

sharethegrief

I liked the overtly sexual part where she talks about Newt getting in and out of sand traps.

Radiotherapy

Obvsly, a reference to her sand box of a vajayjay. Again, imagine if the drapes match the carpet. Or better yet, the dental molding matching the sand trap.

Negropolis

I was honestly trying to figure out if she is just that oblivious to what was actually being implied, or if she was actually trying to be vulgar, or maybe if even she was referring to his former wives. I'm guessing the first one, and that the joke is on her…and so apparently is Newt.

Mrs. Mars Attacks! FTW.

fuflans

seriously. what is in that hair? a cyborg?

ElPinche

I see they temporarily equipped the NewtWife(tm) Model 2000 with a speech module. That'll be disabled shortly.

XOhioan

They're shouting "RONNIE! RONNIE!" because some joker told them it was the Second Coming of Regan ™

Negropolis

OT: Anyone watching the Grammy's, right now? You thought the bishops were pissed last week. lol

Nicki Minaj. Featuring a priest in holy day garb, groveling masochists in nude bodysuits, simulated sex, Nicki offering herself up on an alter, about a hundred really bad wigs, fire raging in the background (hell, I guess), and enough sequins to decorate a Busby Berkeley movie.

Sample lyrics:
I-I-I-I hear them mumblin’, I hear the cacklin’
I got ‘em scared, shook, panickin’
Overseas, church, Vatican
You at a standstill, mannequin
You wanna sleep on me? Overnight?
I’m the motherfuckin’ boss, overwrite
And when I pull up, vroom, motorbike

My old ma said, "Oh, my, they spent more money on this than on Madonna's Super Bowl show." Best part: Gaga had to watch from the audience.

And everyone's mad at Bruce, who sang his We Take Care of Our Own song, because it wasn't respectful to Whitney Houston — go figure.

Negropolis

I almost audibly gasped when I saw the simulated sex all over the iconography, not because I'm some prude, but because I was imagining the heads exploding of the wingnuts. This was like Madonna + Gaga to the tenth power in its cultural insensitivity. lol

I knew there was going to be trouble when she came dressed up as a cardinal with a old, white dude dressed up like the Pope as her escort.

The worst thing I've ever experienced was seeing the Fox News comments in response a news item on the murders of the fiance and infant child of a former co-worker of mine, both of Latino descent.

This stuff is incredibly vile even in the abstract, but seeing someone take my friend and colleague's tragedy, and spew hatred under the veneer of being "political", or, alternately, dispensing with the pretense entirely and vomiting up the most bilious racism imaginable… well, it really did make me fell physical ill, and caused my heart to literally hurt.

ThundercatHo

I am so sorry that you were exposed to that kind of filth when you were grieving for your friend. Thought we would be rid of those kinds of attitudes by now but some people perpetuate the hatred by teaching it to their children which also is inexplicable. Baconzgood had a great link to a psychology research article showing the relationship between bigotry and lower cognitive abilities.

What a horrendous experience. I hope your co-worker is OK, despite his tragedies, poor wo/man. And I hope that you have recovered from the experience. Although in all truth, each such encounter leaves a scar.

I wonder if these atavistic relics will always be with us? What a terrible fate, if they were!

BaldarTFlagass

The fact that my US Air Force server firewalls access to the link you posted, but doesn't firewall Wonkette, says a lot to me. But like a Palin speech, I don't understand what it is that it's saying to me.

Well, the link just goes to LGF. I wouldn't dare link directly to the Fox News post in question, though I'm sure it's find-able via the googles. As mentioned above, I've learned my lesson about looking directly at that neutron star of hate.

paris biltong

Illustrative of the risks of the Internet. Fox is acting irresponsibly by letting such comments appear and can't hide behind the fact that commenters are so cunningly putting a "q" in place of a "g". It is aiding and abetting racism.

ThundercatHo

Speaking of blocking comments…. I'm not for censorship but I really hope Intense Debate has blocked the troll "Bruce Major". That guy was not only racist and disgusting but truly sick-minded and scary.

paris biltong

﻿ <DIV>I don't think of it as censorship, which can only be carried out by a third party. If I have a blog that allows people to comment, I'm certainly entitled – I have the responsibility, in fact, -to screen those comments so that my blog does not become a vehicle for spewing hatred, scatology, etc.</DIV> <DIV style=”FONT: 10pt arial”>

The decision is not up to IntenseDebate, who only make the commenting software. The decision is up to Ken and, I suppose, Jim, who occasionally wields the banhammer.

I don't care for censorship of any sort, but I do recognize the need to protect people from wading in constant filth, which can injure a community of commenters. At one time, some sites responded by hiding any comments that got voted down. Those who wanted to could still read the comments, but would have to click the hidden comments to do so, an affirmative act as opposed to letting everyone be submerged in the constant vileness. That, to me, would be the more acceptable solution. However, I don't know enough about the capabilities of this software package to make that decision.

As for "Bruce Major," he's probably mentally ill, and on the dangerous end of the spectrum. Problem is, he has not said or done anything actionable yet. If he were threatening someone and thereby breaking the law, there might be an excuse for reporting him, but so far he has not, AFAICT, egregiously violated the TOS. On what grounds would you want him blocked? Other than the fact that he's a boring, sad, stupid eejit who contributes nothing to the conversation, of course.

I think low-karma-invisibility is probably not for the best, as it's frankly a matter of still-recent memory that we had a handful of trolls and harassers that have gamed that element of the system in an effort to further harrass. That, frankly, does rise to the level of a TOS violation, but InteseDebate is (understandably, for the reasons you bring up!) slow to act on such matters, preferring to defer to site administrators, even when it's clear that individuals are abusing the system to harrass good-faith users.

I concede your well-made point, my friend. For the wellbeing of all, I am willing to put aside my objections, especially since I was not here to witness the harrassment, and therefore have (both virtually and literally, unfortunately) not a leg to stand on.

Agreed, there really is no dialogue with these people. But, at the same time, this sort of vicious, eliminationist, virulently racist sentiment is starting to look less and less fringe, and more and more like "mainstream" Conservatism. I think that Balloon Juice, that ex-right-wing site that's not LGF, has really hit the nail on the head with a fewposts lately, in that vein.

The Republican party is a fringe ideology of hate, dressed up in the trappings of a mainstream party. Whenever we pretend otherwise at this point, we just empower and embolden them.

I never thought of Balloon Juice as "rightwing," at least not in the same sense/league as the Erick Ericksons and K-Los of this world. It used to be more right-leaning, for sure, but it always was fairly rational, and is becoming more so.

But I do believe that the Republican Party has turned into the fringiest of the fringe, and we are witnessing its — what was that term Dick Cheney used? — last throes, if you will.

Really? I was led to believe that BJ was very much the -albeit milder- sibling of LGF, insofar as they were super-vocal supporters much of the Iraq war stuff, and pretty viciously attacked the DFH's who opposed it even before Day 1, and had similarly "found religion", so to speak, in the mid aught's when it was clear that the case for war was a fraud and had generally allowed a whole bunch of attendent nastiness like the secret torture camps.

Definitely not lumping them in the same category of thing as Redstate or Jonah Goldberg's comedy weblog, but I do remember reading LGF back in its right-wing heyday, and I'd have definitely said that that qualified, all the same.

I believe John (isn't that the name of the guy who runs that blog?) used to be much more pro-right wing in his early days, but he always maintained a relatively high level of discourse, IIRC. At least you *could* spend time on his blog and argue intelligently with him or his commenters. LGF, in its early days, was utterly vile until Charles had his ComeToJeebus moment. As for RedState and the K-Los and Jonah Loadpants of this world, if you didn't have waders, it wasn't even worth going in there. The atmosphere was fetid, and discussions were limited to "FUck YoU dirrrrrTy mothafuckin' filthy animal hippie negro persons, you're the REAL rasits and natzee Fashits." One can only read those things for two minutes before the brain shortcircuits.

I wonder if any of these people are capable of rehabilitation? Because if not, there is only one other option for them in the world of the 21st century. Do you think they realize this?

Biel_ze_Bubba

I think they'll serve a useful purpose by crawling out from under their rocks as the election comes near, howling for whatever white guy the GOP finally pukes up, driving millions of horrified normals to put Obama over the top.
Then they can all go home and, in the fullness of time, die.

OT: My local branch of Operation Chaos is doing well. This weekend the Toledo Blade endorsed Joe the plumber for the republican primary congressional candidate because he had better name recognition and more money from his GOP backers. The other guy is a successful businessman but probably never made it into SP's hotel room.

Dood! Who'd'a thunk it? I'm a great car cusser myself, since I like to drive fast and am a curmudgeon by nature. My partner just laughs himself hysterical when I start. He's actually begun encouraging me, lately, which I think is a bad sign. Hell, even my ex, when she shows up to visit, laughs herself sick and eggs me on. Back when we were together, she was constantly reprimanding me for swearing in the car.